S&W 500 Recoil comparisons.

[teddy12b]

Hey everyone,
         I've just got a question for all of you who have S&W 500 revolvers.  What does that recoil compare to?  Is there even something to compare it to that most people would be able to comprehend.  Would you say it's 2 or 3 times as bad as a 44 mag for example?  I see those cannons in the case everytime I go to a gun store and I always wonder what the recoil would be like out of one of them.

[Redhawk1]

I have been shooting the 500 Mag form the onset. I have fired over 6000 rounds of it through various models. The 8 3/8 inch, 6 inch, 7.5 inch and 4 inch. I now own a 6 inch custom BFR 500 Mag and a 4 inch S&W 500 Mag. The recoil is not comparable to another gun other then it has more recoil than the 460 Mag. I have 2 of the 460's also.

The reason I say it is not comparable is, the X-frame is a heavy frame handgun and all the other handguns have less weight. I have fired a light weight titanium 44 Mag handgun that had more felt recoil than any of my 500 Mags. What assaults you when you shoot the 500 Mag is the concussion and the flash. The recoil is stout but manageable, you cannot have a loose grip on a 500 Mag, neither can you have too tight of a grip. Too light of a grip,  you may feel the front sight hit your head or drop the gun, to tight of a grip and you could pull the trigger a second time without you even knowing it, sending the second shot in the air. I have seen it done.  The only way to know how a 500 Mag will recoil is to experience it for yourself. It is a blast to shoot.

[teddy12b]

I bet it's a blast to shoot one, but I don't know anyone who has one.  I've heard different guys say it's not too bad, and others say it's the worst recoil ever. 

[Keith L]

The indoor range where I shoot has one in the rental guns group.  When someone is shooting it I stay out of the range.  It makes the lights in the store shake, and they ask the shooter to use one of the lanes furthest from the center.  When shooting in the center lanes the blast causes the 8' foourescent lights to fall out of the fixtures and break. The concussion definately makes this an outdoor gun!

[jro45]

It has 39.9 Ft LBS of recoil with the 400gr bullet. Thats with my 500 S&W with 83/8" barrel. I also have a 2X leupole scope on it witch means more weight for less recoil. I don't think recoil is to bad.
It is alot of fun to shoot. It is very accurate also. I don't know of any other gun that could compare to it. It is very loud ear protection is a must. I got mine right after they said that they were being made. I guess I've put a couple 1000 rounds thru it.
Redhawk has shot a bear with his.

[Redhawk1]

jro45 and I both got our 500 Mags when they first came out, he got his just a few days after I got mine.  Like he said, they are great guns to shoot.  I have to admit, when I first got the 500 Mag and went to shoot my first short ever, I was a little concerned, but after I found out it was not as bad as I was lead to believe I was well on my way to shooing it a lot. I have sat at the bench and shot 100 rounds of heavy loaded  440 gr. pills. Hand was a little sore but what do you expect from 100 rounds of heavy 500 Mag rounds.  I have shot 575, 660 and 700 gr. pilling in my 4 inch thanks to Ranger Rick, where I got the big bullets from.

I traded jro45 some of them big 575 gr. bullets for his 500 Mag. By the way jro45 have you shot them yet?? 

As jro45 has said, I got a black bear with my 500 Mag 2 seasons ago. One shot was all it took, the bear did not take a step after the shot.

teddy12b, if you lived in Delaware I would be more than happy to take you out to shoot mine.

[teddy12b]

You guys really make these revolvers sound manageable.  I appreciate the offer, but Delaware is a bit of a drive from Indiana. 

[jro45]

Redhawk1 I've shot 24 of those 575 lead bullets. I will load some up again soon. I'm getting ready for that Africa trip. little by little.

[all4abuck]

RedHawk what do you see as the big difference between the BFR you have in 500 and say a S&W 500 with 8 3/8" barrel?  Just trying to make decision on getting a BFR or a S&W.

I got the 8 3/8 460 S&W and feels just right with a Burris 2x7.  Is there a weight and balance difference between BFR and S&W with same length barrels?  I need a heavier front to reduce muzzle jump, and the slabside S&W barrel with compensator does really help with that.

[Redhawk1]

When I first got a 500 Mag, it was Magnum Research that beat S&W out with there own round, I got tired of waiting for S&W to get the gun to the public, I bought the BFR. I shot the BFR a lot, I then sent it in to have the barrel cut back to 6 inches. The recoil I found very manageable but the muzzle lift was a lot in the BFR. I had it mag-na-ported to reduce the muzzle life and it helped some. I then bought the S&W 500 Mag when the gun shop got  the first one in.
I went to the range with both of them in hand to compare them side by side. I found the S&W to be more bulky but I got less muzzle lift than the BFR which is natural since the BFR is a single action design and inherently single action's have more of a roll in your hand recoil where the double action 500 S&W has more of a straight back recoil with a less noticeable muzzle rise, but don't get me wrong, the muzzle rise is significant in the S&W also.

I found it hard to decide which one I liked the best so I have a S&W and a BFR. I sold the 8 3/8 S&W to my buddy and got the 4 inch S&W now.
I am also a fan of the S&W 460 Mag, I have 2 of them, a 5 inch S&W and a 7.5 inch PC model. I shoot my 7.5 inch 460 the most of the two.
I have used my BFR to take a bear two years ago, what a blast. 

Now that I have confused you more, the best advice I can give you is, look at them both and see which one you like the best, they both will serve you well.

[Bitmap]

For me, shooting the .500 with an 8 3/8" barrel with factory loads that have a 400gr. bullet at a nominal 1600fps is more comfortable than shooting a .454 SRH 7 1/2" barrel with a 260gr. bullet at a nominal 1800fps.  The weight combined with the muzzle port makes a lot of difference to me.  Also, the SRH didn't have the nice gell filled grip like the Smith.

I fired over 40 rounds of that load through a Smith in one sitting.  I'm out of practice with powerful handguns and I was tired at the end but I didn't feel beaten or abused.  After 2 or 3 cylindefulls of those .454 loads on a different afternoon I was looking for something else to shoot.

As far as comparing these with the .44, the load I like to shoot in my .44 SBH and Redhawk has a 265gr. bullet at about 1300fps.  After shooting either a .454 or a .500 that load is a nice warmdown, like walking around after a long run.

This is just me and the guns and loads I've fired, which is not a lot of experience.  I've talked to guys that claim shooting the .500 is worse for them than passing a kidney stone.  It may be for them but it's not for me.  A lot of the effect of recoil has to do with differences in our bodies.  One guys hand may be shaped a little different or may have a nerve routed just slightly different from mine but those little differences could mean a lot in terms of how the recoil of a particular gun feels to him.

When S&W came out with the .500 I thought they were crazy and that it was just a marketing toy.  You know, "The biggest, most powerful production revolver . . . " kind of stuff.  I also thought it would be so big and heavy that nobody would want to really use it.  But after trying one out I think it is one of the greatest things going.  I still think the SRH has it's place, but I like the .500 a lot.